TBSK WEEKENDER TRIP: THE OCKLAWAHA REVEALS HER SPRINGS
Trip leaders: Scott Jantz (scottjantz2@gmail.com, 386-853-5159) and Jill Lingard (jill.lingard@gmail.com, 352-665-1776)
Description: The Ocklawaha River is a 74-mile spring-fed stream that flows north along the western border of the Ocala National Forest to the St. Johns River. A relic of the Cross Florida Barge Canal Project decommissioned in 1990, the Kilpatrick Dam creates artificially high water levels which flood dozens of natural springs along the river. Every three to four years, state water managers open the dam and draw down the reservoir to help kill off invasive vegetation. A beautiful side effect of the drawdown is its uncovering of up to 20 springs, which flow freely at natural water levels. The photo above is of Cannon Springs taken during Jill's early December paddle there. The river remains in a drawdown period now, so let's go see the Cannon Springs!
On Day 1 of our weekender trip, we'll paddle 10 miles roundtrip from Eureka West boat ramp up to Cannon Springs and back.
Location: Eureka West Recreation Area, 45399 NE 152nd Place in Fort McCoy
Schedule: Saturday, February 7. Meet at 9:30AM for a 10:00 launch. We’ll return around 3:00PM.
Additional information: This trip is the first day of a two-day Ocklawaha exploration. You can sign up for either day or both days. If you plan to make a weekend out of it, we recommend you find lodging in the area to avoid driving back and forth from the Tampa Bay area. Ocala and Silver Springs are nearby with lots of hotel and camping options. Scott & Jill will be staying in the vicinity of the Ocklawaha on both Friday and Saturday nights. They have room in their rental house for 2-3 additional people. Contact Jill or Scott if you'd like to stay with them and share the rental costs.
Difficulty: Level 2 for distance and a bit of current on the upstream paddle. Review TBSK's Skills Self-Assessment Chart and contact trip leader with any questions.
Gear Requirements/Recommendations:
If your plans to participate change, please cancel on the website or app so that people on the waitlist can join us.